1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to collapsible structures, and in particular, to collapsible play structures which may be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes. The collapsible play structures may be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the play structures to facilitate convenient storage and use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Two important considerations for all toys or play things targeted for children are convenience and variety. Relating to convenience, a toy must be easily transportable so that the child can move it around the home, or even to other places outside of the home. A toy must also be easily stored since a child is likely to have many other toys that compete for precious storage space in the home. As for variety, a toy must offer enough variety in play so that the child will be able to enjoy it for a long period of time without getting bored.
Larger toys often pose a greater problem with regards to convenience. The larger toys tend to be bulky, which makes it difficult to move them around the home, and sometimes makes it prohibitive to move them outside the house to other locations. Bulky toys also take up much storage space.
In the past, attempts have been made to provide play structures for the entertainment of children. Such play structures have been provided in many different shapes and sizes. For example, some have been shaped as playhouses to allow children to climb into and out of the structure. However, in order to provide a structure that can temporarily house a child, such a structure must be quite large and would be difficult to transport and store.
In response to this problem, attempts have been made to provide play structures that are assembled from generic rigid panels that may be disassembled after use. The generic panels are easily stored into a small container, which makes it convenient to transport and to store. These panels may also be assembled into structures having different shapes and sizes, thereby offering the child with variety. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,105 to Daugherty provides a fabrication device comprised of differently-shaped rigid panels 10 connected by superimposing the curled locking means 16 of adjacent panels 10. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,580 to Ausnit provides a connective toy comprised of rigid bodies connected by interlocking ribs and grooves. Unfortunately, these play structures suffer from the drawback that it is very time-consuming to disassemble the structure after use for storage, and to re-assemble the structure before use. Since children tend to lack patience, such play structures will normally remain in their assembled state most of the time, which still results in the same problems discussed above.
Thus, there remains a need for a play structure which is convenient to use, to transport, and to store, and which offers play variety to the child.